With the rise of modern technology and the increasing popularity and necessity of online schooling, students are finding themselves left to study by themselves. For some, solitude increases productivity, while for others, this isolation can make it easy to avoid studying altogether or bring a productive study session to an unexpected halt when the student gets stuck. Luckily, all they need to solve these issues is to join an online study room.
The three best online study rooms include:
- Study Gang
- Study Together
- Study Stream
This article will discuss the trend of online study rooms and what they can do for students worldwide. Read on to find out all you need to know about the three best online study rooms.
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How Can I Study Together Online?
Studying can be a stressful process in of itself, let alone the added pressure of either not comprehending what you need to study or simply lacking all motivation to even start. A lot of people find they have an easier time holding themselves accountable to studying and not getting confused as frequently when they aren’t alone.
However, if you’re trying to stay out of public spheres or you find yourself in a late-night study session, how can you study with others? The answer is online.
There are a series of ways the modern student can study online with individuals worldwide who might be the same age or grade level, studying the same material, or share their need for a more social studying atmosphere. This is usually accomplished by joining an established online study room or creating your own virtual study space using the platform of your choice.
If you want to study online with a specific group of friends or fellow students, your best option is to create your online study room using platforms such as:
- Zoom
- Google Hangout or Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
- GoToMeeting
- Skype
- Cisco Webex
A great deal of these sources are free and frequently used by companies and other groups to hold conference calls or host video meetings. All you and your friends have to do is download the programs, join, and then one individual will “host” the room and invite others to the private virtual space.
From there, people can communicate using a virtual chatbox, or they can use cameras and microphones to converse in a more straightforward and personable manner.
If you don’t have any specific individuals in mind to study with and you don’t mind studying with strangers, you’ll want to opt for an online study room instead.
What is a Virtual Study Room?
Before we delve too deeply into the benefits of using virtual study rooms for students and which websites are best, we should define what these online spheres entail.
In essence, a virtual study room is an online platform that allows individuals worldwide to use their respective electronic device, typically a laptop, computer, or mobile device, to join a virtual meeting room (VMR) hosted by a cloud service or the study room’s company. There they can collaborate with other students for a productive study session.
Although the goal of all virtual study rooms is the same, they can function differently depending on what website you are using. For instance, some sites will filter students into whatever study room has space without being overwhelmed, while others are a bit more organized with their sorting.
Instead, they will also give the student a series of questions regarding their age, grade level, the material they are studying, and more to better match them to a specific room where they will share these traits with other students.
There are also websites that will have a tutor or counselor overseeing the study room for additional support and to function as a moderator in times of student misconduct.
Ultimately, virtual study rooms aim to give students an online sphere where they can study in a social atmosphere while also having resources available for help or insight regarding their study material.
Are Virtual Study Rooms Safe?
It stands to reason that because virtual study rooms are relatively new and unheard of, people are hesitant regarding their safety. Considering the risk countless online websites can pose to a persona’s electronic device regarding viruses and stealing personal information, these concerns aren’t unfounded.
Thankfully, we can confidently state that virtual study rooms are entirely safe for users as long as they choose a reputable website.
Before entering or registering on any virtual study room website, make sure you research the hosting company first. Ascertain that the website has protective measures in place to ensure your personal information and anything on your electronic device won’t be affected by the host or anyone within the study room.
Additionally, most reputable sites will have a moderator and/or some way for students to report an incident in the event any user fails to follow codes of conduct as dictated by the owners of the virtual study room.
If you are still concerned about your safety after checking all of these measures, some students will find they feel safer if they intentionally refrain from using video cameras or microphones when in virtual study rooms. Instead, they opt for any chat box communications available when they want to connect with other students.
The 3 Best Online Study Rooms
Online study rooms are an exceptional educational tool students can use to their advantage in order to motivate themselves to study and stay productive when doing so. However, when searching for online study rooms to join, it isn’t uncommon for students to come across a website or two that seems subpar and potentially unsafe. There are also a limited number of renowned virtual study room websites considering how recently these collaborative spheres have been established.
Therefore, we’ve selected our top three best online study rooms for your safety and study efficiency. These websites include:
- Study Gang
- Study Together
- Study Stream
Each site has its unique way of sorting students and offers different benefits, but they all share the fact that they are safe online spaces for students and run by reputable individuals dedicated to providing these students with the best social and educational outlet possible.
If you’re unsure of which website out of these three, you’d like to try. We invite you to continue reading as we delve into each of them individually and discuss their most significant advantages and how they compare to the other options listed here.
Study Gang
The first virtual study room we recommend is Study Gang, a free online community dedicated to empowering students by providing a sense of accountability when studying and increasing productivity by 200-300%.
All students have to do is register on the site using their name, email address, phone numbers, and establishing a username and password. The website protects all personal information, and none of it is displayed when you’re in the virtual rooms, name included.
After creating an account, students are placed into a specific study room based on their class level or what competitive exam they are studying for. From there, they can either use a video camera or share their screen as they reap the benefits of online study rooms.
Some female students might appreciate Study Gang’s “female study partner(s)” feature, which ensures that women who choose this option are only placed in online study rooms with other women.
A new feature Study Gang is working on that can be enjoyed by all users is the AI-powered study plans that will use data submitted by thousands of students to create effective and customized study plans to better prepare students for their course material or upcoming tests.
Study Together
A popular online study room website with exceptional reviews is Study Together. Thousands of students in over 160 countries use this website to have productive study sessions surrounded by a community of individuals who share the same goal.
With Study Together, students can either make their own website account to join rooms or use a Discord account if that is preferable.
From there, users establish a session goal, which is simply an achievable goal for themselves regarding what they want to accomplish in this study session. This might entail completing an assignment, understanding a concept, starting a project, etc.
Setting a session goal ensures you enter your study session with a clear purpose and leaving with a sense of accomplishment. Students can also set daily, weekly, or long-term goals to help them stay productive throughout a period of time, like a semester or the entire school year.
In addition to this helpful feature, students can also use other advantageous options on Study Together, including:
- 25-minute or 50-minute timed sessions with 10-minute breaks to prevent mental overloading
- Screen share or camera use for accountability
- Silent self-study where users can study using only timers
- Private studying for 1 on 1 study sessions
- Group studying for private rooms with 3-10 students
Utilizing these features to the fullest will reap significant results for a student’s productivity and learning, rendering Study Together one of the best online study room websites available.
Study Stream
The final virtual study room recommendation we have is Study Stream. This community is extremely popular and one of the most renowned online study rooms you can find, as seen by its 370K+ members.
With Study Together, students can connect with other users worldwide 24/7, so no study session is too late or too early for you to enter and find other students in your exact same shoes.
Using Study Stream is free, and students have two options for how they’d like to join their study room, either through registering for their Focus Room or joining via a Discord account. Once these accounts are set up, Study Stream recommends users watch their live onboarding sessions hosted every weekday at 3 pm BST, which explains everything you need to know about how the website works.
Afterward, you can join millions of students found in over 180 countries in one of Study Stream’s many virtual study rooms.
If you find you’re still having a hard time focusing even when you’re in these rooms and have the social accountability of other students to help, you might benefit from Study Stream’s weekly mindfulness sessions. These can help reduce study and life-related stress so students can clear their minds, calm their anxiety, and return to studying feeling refreshed and optimistic.
Final Thoughts
Online study rooms might be a recent educational tool, but that by no means reflects how beneficial these sites can be for students. Thousands of people worldwide find online study rooms to be exceptionally beneficial in motivating them to be productive and ensuring some party is holding them accountable when studying. It provides a similar community and atmosphere as a school library from the comfort of your home, and many are available 24/7 to fit any busy student’s schedule.
So, the next time you find yourself confused about course material or procrastinating on some much overdue studying, consider signing up for one of the three online study room websites we recommended here. We promise you won’t be disappointed with the results.
